Power demand falls 13% in Oct, 3rd straight month of decline

NEW DELHI: India’s electricity demand fell 13% in October led by a sharp reduction in offtake from the industralised states like Gujarat & Maharashtra, which may indicate a deepening economic slowdown although officials said this was just an aberration.

Electricity demand during October this year was down to 98 billion units as against 113 billion units in the same month last year, data available with the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) said. This is the third consecutive month of low power demand which has slowed since August. However, government officials attributed it to late rains and favorable weather conditions.